Intelligent Lung Support for Mechanically Ventilated Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Project Information

IntelliLung

Grant agreement ID: 101057434

DOI

10.3030/101057434

EC signature date 24 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• Health

Total cost

€ 5 980 347,50

EU contribution

€ 5 980 347,00

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDEN
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IntelliLung (Intelligent Lung Support for Mechanically Ventilated Patients in the Intensive Care Unit)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Mechanical ventilation remains a life-saving intervention for critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs). However, finding the optimal ventilator settings for each individual patient is highly complex. Suboptimal ventilation can risk further lung injury and complicate recovery. The IntelliLung project addresses this critical challenge by developing and validating a novel Artificial Intelligence Decision Support System (AI-DSS) designed to assist clinicians in optimizing ventilator settings.

The project's primary objective is to enhance patient safety and outcomes in critical care. By leveraging AI that learns from clinical data, the system aims to provide personalized ventilation recommendations, helping to reduce the risk of ventilator-induced complications. A parallel objective focuses on improving communication and health literacy. The project is developing digital tools to provide patients and their families with clear, individualized information about the treatment process and the role of AI assistance, thereby fostering understanding and trust during a vulnerable time.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Since its start, the IntelliLung consortium has made significant strides in both technical development and clinical preparation. A foundational achievement has been the successful development and initial validation of the core AI algorithm using retrospective data. This work has demonstrated the system's potential to learn effective ventilation strategies.

Concurrently, the technical architecture of the integrated IntelliLung platform has been finalized. This includes the development of a secure communication middleware to connect with hospital equipment and a user-friendly interface for clinicians. Rigorous testing has been conducted to ensure the platform's robustness and reliability in a clinical environment.

On the clinical front, the multi-centre prospective study is now actively underway. Patient recruitment has successfully commenced at the lead clinical site, with additional sites finalizing their technical and ethical approvals to join the study imminently. The project's comprehensive, plain-language information materials for patients and relatives are being utilized in the active site, playing a crucial role in supporting the informed consent process and enhancing health literacy among participants and their families.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

IntelliLung moves beyond static clinical guidelines by creating an adaptive AI system that can tailor its recommendations to the unique and changing physiological state of each patient. A key innovation is the project's dedicated focus on building a trustworthy AI. This involves integrating advanced techniques for explaining the AI's recommendations to clinicians and implementing methods to detect and mitigate potential biases in the algorithm, ensuring its recommendations are fair and equitable across different patient groups.
By combining a technically advanced AI-DSS with a strong emphasis on clinical usability, transparency, and patient communication, IntelliLung is pioneering a holistic approach to the integration of AI in critical care environments.